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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

First of all, call me a real amateur movie-buff. Then you will understand why this post is gonna end this suck. So, if you expect to have a deep analysis and review, you’ll probably just have to skip this one. Haha. Anyway. Oscars was just held. It’s a climax for all movie enthusiasts and filmmakers all around the globe, including me. I feel like I wanna share my (shallow) thought about this so-called the biggest movie award in the planet (and knowing that I haven’t posted anything for the past week is kinda pushing me to, at least, write something :P). Do I feel pleased with the results of this award?

Academy Awards 2013 was so much suprising in the way that we didn’t imagine. See, snubbing Ben Affleck in the Best Director category is not ‘that’ surprising: having a tie a.k.a double winner for single category, is the most surprising. Just like previous events, there are still ‘losers’ that used to be the Academy’s darlings, and some are just so underdog that they went being just as sweeteners. No, unfortunately I didn’t watch full event due to some reasons (but mostly because of the timing: look, Sunday 5.30 p.m. PST is Monday 8.30 a.m. in GMT +7. It’s a Monday morning!), but lucky for me I didn’t miss Jennifer Hudson and the cast of “Les Miserables” singing. I kept updating information from Twitter, though.

I was predicting “Life of Pi” winning this category, but what is most surprising is when Mark Wahlberg who presented the award announced that there’s gonna be a tie in the category. “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Skyfall”, two winners! While it may seem unusual, it actually wasn’t a first in Oscar history. There were many similar occurrences previously happened. Best Actor Academy Awards 1932 came up with two winners, Frederic March for “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and Wallace Beery for “The Champ”, because although Beery got only one vote more than March, the rules at that time allowed the difference to be regarded as a tie (this rule don’t apply for recent Oscar events). Tie also happens in the Best Documentary category in 1949 and 1986, also Best Actress category in 1969 and Best Live Action Short Film in 1994.

2. Where is “Beasts of the Southern Wild”?

From zero to hero, or more specifically, from Sundance to Oscar. What an achievement. After Seth MacFarlane and Emma Stone announced no Ben Affleck or Kathryn Bigelow in Best Director category, I had a feeling that their seats were taken by both Benh Zeitlin from “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and Michael Haneke from “Amour”. And there, Quvenzhane Wallis comes straight and sits in Best Actress in Leading Role category, replacing the seat which I guess was preferable for either Marion Cotillard from “Rust and Bone” or Helen Mirren from “Hitchcock”. Wallis is 9 years old, sweet, and having her first time acting in “Beasts”. While “Beasts” comes in some main categories like Best Adapted Screenplay, Leading Actress, Director, and even Best Picture, finally it brings no win. Still, being nominated in Oscars is actually a true achievement, so I won’t say that “Beasts” is the loser. I’d rather say it’s a sweetener, something to make this year’s Oscar more colorful.

3. No more amour for “Amour”

A bit similar to my previous point. I almost call it the award’s “loser”, but I recalled that at least it wins Best Foreign Language. Nominated in Best Foreign Language? Great. In Original Screenplay too? It’s alright. Leading Actress? Yep, okay. And Best Picture too? No, it’s just too much. It’s not that I don’t like it, but... can someone explain to me how come a foreign-language movie being nominated in not only Best Foreign but also Best Picture? What makes this two categories clearly distinguished?

4. All hail Richard Parker!

The reason why Oscars 2013 really made my day is that “Life of Pi”, my favorite, came home bringing the most Oscar statues. It gets FOUR, including Best Director for Ang Lee. Wow. At first I was thinking that, well, this movie is gonna be ended up just as an ornament. Or, if it was lucky enough, it would bring one or two statues in the technical categories. And there it goes. I predicted that either Haneke or Spielberg came out as the winner in directing, but Ang Lee... uh, great! I thought Deakins from “Skyfall” is the most favorable to win Best Cinematography and finally, Claudio Miranda came out of nowhere. Haha. It’s kinda becoming a proof, at least for me, that “Life of Pi” is more than just a movie with a good story and nice “computer effect”. It is a cinema that is supported with great visual effect, filled with qualified musical score, beautifully shot, and well directed.

5. Second Oscar for Hans Landa

Oops, sorry. I don’t know if it is just me being too shallow seeing his acting in “Django Unchained” (that’s why I mentioned a kind of “announcement” in the first paragraph :D), but for me Christoph Waltz has now won two Oscars for the same characters, instead of the same categories. Hans Landa in “Inglorious Basterds” and King Schultz in “Django Unchained”, oh. I expected that this category will go to a fresher character like Philip Seymour Hoffman in “The Master”—whom I was rooting for. Finally, the first Oscar winner announced is the most boring one.

6. Argo, f*ck yourself!

Don’t cry, Ben! See, the Academy still loves you. I don’t know what kind of “conspiracy” has taken place among the Academy members, but, haha, it’s just... funny. It’s like they were “allocating” certain categories for certain nominees in order to make the nominees finally come way back home bringing their own Oscar statues. Okay, no Ben Affleck in directing, put Zeitlin there, deliver some love to “Amour”, and give Affleck Oscar for Best Picture while another contender could win in directing. No offense, no need to take this seriously because it’s just a crazy thing in my crazy mind. For me, “Argo” winning Best Picture is okay. It’s acceptable. I enjoy it. Maybe it’s kind of less iconic but, still, it’s okay.

7. No loser? Think again

How do you define losers? The one that comes without a single win = a loser? Maybe. For me, this year’s Oscar’s loser is “Zero Dark Thirty”. Sorry. Look, the only win it gets is a tie win! Too bad. “Silver Linings Playbook” is lucky enough for having Jennifer Lawrence winning Best Leading Actress, saving the movie itself from being the evening’s loser. I was thinking either Emanuelle Riva or Jessica Chastain would win, but Lawrence’s acting in that movie is still the one that you can’t miss. “Zero Dark Thirty” was greatly produced, actually.

The only analysis I made, that successfully came out of prediction, is Best Short Animated Film. “Paperman”! But, anyway, I’m always reminded with these two conclusions after watching or keeping updated from certain movie award. First, the movies you love are not always the ones that win a lot. Second, I’m not good at predicting. Cheers!

after seeing Life of Pi again last week (never be the same on a small screen :P )very happy to see Lee get standing ovation & so much love from his peers at Oscars

About Best Actress,I think JLaw is a fine actress who has made great decision & I loved her. But the best performance of the year? Absolutely not, but that really piss me off that she will be back for a better role& performance & she won't win, coz she won once and its too early…imho..i just hope to see Riva living 100 years,& see her win an oscar…she is great!

"Life of Pi" is great! I don't know why many people (even the critics) don't like it that much, besides of the CGI thingy whatsoever in the movie. More than just visual effect, I think "Life of Pi" is very gripping from the story. That's why Lee winning Oscar for Best Director was pretty much amusing for me >.<

Well actually I root for Chastain more than Lawrence (or even Riva) because she was more solid than those two.

I thought in America, they didn't like life of pi that much coz spiritual message or something ,

yeah, Argo is feel-good movie for them, american as hero, less controversy (I mean the movie ddn't show 'dark side' of CIA like we found in ZD30)It is a good movie & I loved, but I truly think it's winning because Ben Affleck was snubbed.imho

*and yeah..Chastain is my favorit too, but i knew she wouldn't win these thing, so i picked Riva to win-and she deserves too..but it didn't happen :(

About Life of Pi:Owh, it's an acceptable explanation you have there. *ngangguk2* I didn't think that far, but yeah, it's reasonable.

About Argo:PLUS, it's Michelle Obama who opened the envelope! There's a rumor about if the envelope was opened previously due to the security reason of White House whatsoever, but her appearance makes Oscar smells so political. Beyond that, I'm still rooting for Argo than ZDT. At least Argo is more enjoyable.

About Chastain:Well, if Riva won, it would be surprising because she had her birthday at that night. Still, the three did impressive acting.

Globe-> ClintonOscar->Michele Obamalololol...completely awkward ^^I genuinely liked Argo,,but Im just baffled at Affleck pity fest that has erupted with media. Ok,he was snubbed for director when he was supposed to be, but why wasn’t this outcry just 'as strong' for Bigelow, who made a much superior and intellectually stimulating film? Because she recently won? Because she’s a woman? :) I just can’t wrap my head around it.

anyway, DDL speech made my day, i loved it..though i root 4 Phoenix than him, but his 'classy joke' about Meryl was so good

Yes, just like what I said, ZDT finally is the loser. Well, Affleck has won an Oscar, too. I think it's more about the story of the movie. Like I said in previous comment, Argo is more enjoyable and acceptable than ZDT. Everybody could understand it easier than ZDT. That's the point, I think.

DDL did a great job, but personally I always don't like him. MacFarlane's joke about him is damn right. DDL has always been attached to his role even when the camera is off and if I was the crew, this would totally be unacceptable.

yup, i got it, and i realized that Argo is more enjoyable and feel-good than ZD30,, but what baffled me is about how they 'suddenly' shown outcry about Affleck snubbed only..and leave Bigelow alone, like she never exist though she won almost all best director awards before oscars nomination announced,, i smell sexism..LOL

& the opposite happens 4 men, Just shows hollywood is still VERY manipulated by men.Let’s give Best Actor to the one with more experience, the MAN well-respected & give Best Actress to the hottie who is sweet who was in fil where the woman is the trophee and nothing more(astaghfirullah, am I sound like feminism activist? haha)

Haha, LOL, there are always rumors about Oscars, every year. Well, I don't fully agree with you but I think I agree that we movie-buff will always (try to) smell something unusual about Oscar. And this year's Oscar is one of those events with the most "happening" rumors all-around, so... I think it's better to say that everything goes well.

And also, bad timing sometimes becomes the biggest reason why someone (actor, director, etc.) with a good performance doesn't get the chance to win. I mean, see last year's Oscar. I think Viola Davis was totally great in "The Help" but it's so unfortunate to her that "The Iron Lady" with Meryl Streep joins the same year's Oscar. Both are great, so great that I don't regard those-who-win as the best. Whoever wins it, doesn't matter.

Haha-yup, that's why we loved Oscars,,It is combination of publicity and popularity but the last thing it represents is “best.” ^^

I think since the lead actor won for biopic role given out by actress who won for biopic role before presented by another biopic role (and so on…),the next best actress win will be for a biopic role as well..DDL: "And the Oscar goes to…. Naomi Watts for Diana" (or Nicole Kidman for Grace) LOL

Haha, LOL. Yeah, I always believe that acclaimed actors who acted for a biopic role has a bigger chance to win. That's why I (was kinda) root for either Anthony Hopkins (for "Hitchcock") or Bill Murray (for "Hyde Park on Hudson") for at least being nominated, till I realized that this year's Best Leading Actor category was kinda rough.